Watchdogs warn PBBM on Konektadong Pinoy Bill cyber risks

Cybersecurity and consumer watchdogs are urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address potential cybersecurity risks in the proposed "Konektadong Pinoy Bill," which is now awaiting his signature into law.

Groups such as Scam Watch Pilipinas, Women in Security Alliance Philippines (WiSAP), Philippines Chief Information Officer Association (PCIOA), PhilDev S&T Foundation, and the BPO Cybersecurity Council are concerned about specific provisions.

A primary concern is that the bill allows new internet service providers (ISPs) to operate for up to three years without initially requiring full compliance with cybersecurity and data privacy regulations.

These groups emphasize that this grace period, written into the law, cannot be undone by implementing rules and regulations.

They highlighted that this opens a dangerous window for hackers, scammers, and potentially state-sponsored actors to exploit, threatening critical infrastructure and sensitive citizen data.